Climate Bill Passes House, Moves to the Senate

[Earth Day Network]

In a historic vote, The American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill and ACES, has been passed in the House of Representatives. It is the first legislation to set limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, paving the way for a greener future.

The bill was passed after hard pushes from Nancy Pelosi and President Obama, as well as a heated debate in the House.

The ACES Act caps the amount of carbon emissions from major US sources, including electric companies and oil refineries. Companies receive emission allowances, which they can sell and trade. Industries that reduce their emissions receive economic incentives. Under ACES, electric companies must use renewable energy sources to meet 6% of power demands by 2012, and 20% of power demands by 2020. The legislation aims to reduce 2005 greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83% by 2050.

The bill invests $200 billion in new clean energy technologies for smarter, cleaner, and more efficient energy use, as well enforcing energy-saving standards on new buildings, vehicles, and appliances.
We hope that the Senate will provide a stronger bill by increasing the amount of reductions of carbon emissions, providing for auction of 100 percent of carbon permits, providing more money for green job training and displaced workers, and requiring a higher renewable energy standard.

Now that the climate bill has passed in the House, it moves on to the Senate. Both the Obama administration and Democrats want it passed by the end of the year, when negotiations for a new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases get under way in Copenhagen, Denmark for the UN’s Climate Change Conference. The conference will involve around 170 countries and is expected to set an agreed upon framework for climate change mitigation after 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires

The world will have its eyes on the conference. If nations are to decide upon a new agreement to enact before the Kyoto Protocol expires, this will be their last opportunity to do so. It is likely that whatever actions the participants decide upon will call for drastic moves to cut CO2 levels quickly. Some countries argue that action needs to be more drastic than what the ACES Act is already calling for.

Nevertheless, President Obama is now urging the Senate to pass the bill. On Friday, Obama noted that “there’s going to be more to do” and “that the United States over the last several years has not been where we need to be. We're not going to get there all in one fell swoop.” Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-Nevada) is pushing for the bill and hopes to have it on the floor by mid-September.

The bill is a good starting point for further climate action and brings the US closer to a new green economic future. With this bill, we can work toward cleaner, independent energy while creating jobs and saving consumers hundreds of billions of dollars.




The UN Copenhagen Climate Conference will be held December 7-18, 2009. For more information on the conference, click here.